The invention is directed to a manually manipulated random number generator for the playing of a game of chance, and more particularly to a mechanical random number generator in which only a predetermined number of random numbers can be chosen from a predetermined series of numbers.
In the playing of lottery and especially the playing of state lotteries in the United States a specific total of numbers from a specific field of numbers is randomly chosen to determine the winner. As for example in the State Lottery of California six principle numbers and a seven alternate number are chosen from a field of 53 possible numbers. The winning selection of numbers can win large quantities of money relative to the cost of a lottery ticket.
There are numerous random number generators in the prior art. The prior art random number generators select numbers from an infinite number of available numbers. An example of random number generators can be found in the following U.S. Pat Nos.: 4,692,863; 3,674,275 and 2,396,475. U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,863 by inventor Moosz teaches a complex electronic random number generator for lottery games. A processor and memory randomly generate combinations of stored numbers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,275 teaches a base member with a plurality of compartments each is assigned a number. A ball dropped into a centrally positioned slot against a deflector can randomly directed the ball into a numbered slot. The total number of slots and accordingly the amount of different numbers possible are limited to the size of the device.
None of the above listed random number generators select a specific number of random numbers from a predetermined field of total numbers or are manually manipulated.
There has not been a simple inexpensive random number generator that can select the required numbers for a State lottery from a field of numbers limited to that lottery until the emergence of the present invention.